Paddy Power Pretty Polly Stakes (Group 1)

TWO of the top middle-distance fillies in Europe fought out the finish of the 2025 Pretty Polly Stakes, and it was the younger legs that lasted longest, as an “absolutely concrete” Whirl dragged Kalpana into a no-holds-barred street fight and wore down the favourite with tremendous guts.

Aidan O’Brien’s Epsom Oaks runner-up to stablemate Minnie Hawk had been the subject of solid support throughout the afternoon, sent off at 13/8 to take advantage of the 12lb in weight-for-age allowances from the British raider (SP 5/6).

From a long way out, it looked as though Ryan Moore and Colin Keane were destined to fight out the finish from forward positions, and that is exactly how this €300,000 Group 1 unfolded. The Andrew Balding-trained market leader loomed up with intent two furlongs down and looked set to take command from that point. She was marginally in front a furlong down. However, the Coolmore partners’ homebred was in no mood to be denied.

Moore had a most willing partner and impressively still had something in reserve for a crunch final furlong. The Musidora Stakes scorer ended up running out a pretty decisive length-and-a-quarter winner, with Kalpana trading as short as 1/6 in the in-running markets before giving way.

Speaking after what’s believed to be his 150th Group 1 victory in partnership with Moore, O’Brien said: “Whirl is an unbelievable filly. Incredible. She’s just progressed and loves getting into a fight. We saw that she stays a mile and a half at Epsom, but felt a mile and a quarter is something she wouldn’t mind. She’s absolutely concrete really.

“Ryan gave her a brilliant ride and got the fractions spot on, which is a difficult thing when you are running a mile-and-a-half filly back at a mile and a quarter. You’re trying to stretch the stamina out over a mile and a quarter, without stretching the elastic too long. He set her alight out the gates, got the favourite to challenge him while getting the fractions right.

“This is a very classy filly and I’m so delighted for the lads. She’s a 100 per cent home-bred by Wootton Bassett, so what can I say? So many people have helped to make this happen and I’m delighted for them.”

On the thought process behind engaging in a battle with Kalpana over this trip when the Andrew Balding-trained four-year-old had already won over a mile and a half, O’Brien explained: “Our filly gets a mile and a half. There was no point in turning it into a sprint. It was to spread it out, let the two of them get together and see who was going to be the best. Like the say, let the best horse jump the ditch after that!

“They are two great jockeys. Ryan and Colin knew they were each other’s dangers. They went strong and together, and couldn’t afford to give the other an inch. They got into a battle, turned in and to battle all the way up the straight like that at the Curragh - that takes some courage. Ryan felt that 50 yards from the line she had a look at the camera and he knew he had her then. This kind of race is few and far between, when you have that type of quality horse line up with two riders like that at a track like this.”

Layers reacted by making Whirl one of the leading fancies for the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at 12/1 (from 20/1), while Kalpana was pushed out to 16/1 (from 12/1) for the same event. The pair finished a length and three quarters in front of last year’s Arc seventh Survie, the French raider faring well considering how far back she was for much of the journey relative to the front two.

On what’s in store next for the winner, O’Brien added: “She can go anywhere now. She can come back here for the Irish Oaks, she could go to the Nassau.

"She’s an unusual filly. She’s tough and she’s not even blowing there. You can see her, her nostrils weren’t even flaring. She’s obviously a very high-class filly and it’s very exciting.

"Minnie Hawk is going for Irish Oaks. It’s possible we’ll keep her and Whirl apart but the lads did run them against each other at Epsom. I’d imagine if Minnie Hawk is well and goes to the Irish Oaks, she’ll go by herself. This filly can do other things. She’s not slow either.”

This top-level victory continued a stellar afternoon at the Curragh for Whirl’s sire Wootton Bassett, having earlier been responsible for Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes winner Beautify over six furlongs, and seven-furlong juvenile maiden winner Dorset in the opener.

In Ireland alone so far in 2025, the Coolmore stallion has sired the winners of blacktype races over five, six, seven, nine, 10 and 13 furlongs.

“He’s an incredible stallion,” said O’Brien. “The speed that they have and they stay, which is incredible. It’s very unusual. Loads of speed and trips seem to be no problem to them either."